Metal fans: Are you open minded towards other genres of music?

[Rush-2112]

Charlie Benante from Anthrax doesn't seem to think so

Anthrax: 'Metal Fans Aren't Open-Minded' | News @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com

As a music fan (just in general), I would say I'm totally into a wide array of genres, metal included. Of course, there are some kinds of music where I'd draw the line.

Thoughts?

[Waffles and Scotch]

I wish Tracy Chapman would finally start her own metal band.

[PatQ]

I'm a huge metalhead, but am absolutely open-minded! I love a lot of rap-stuff (german rap, not that mainstream stuff from the us), listen to jazz, classic music and a lot more stuff.

[Bengals]

Metal itself is very open minded, how else do you explain folk metal? There is a metalhead stereotype that exists, but there are some pretty savvy people who also enjoy metal.

Ultimate Guitar just likes to bait trolls with their articles...

[FatCity]

I think as musicians we are more likely to be interested in a variety of music. The average metal fan is probably not going to want to listen to What's Going On, just as the average R&B fan would probably not like Number of the Beast.

I am sure that there are many on this board who own both of those records. I do.

[chaosMK]

I dunno what he's even talking about. Anthrax is classic rock.

[essentre]

I like what I like. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it appeals to me.

[Tractorr]

I think this myth comes from some, but not all, metal fans are very closed minded when it comes to music. Almost all of the metal musicians I have ever met are like most musicians and enjoy a variety of music it just so happens that metal is the genre they most prefer playing.

[peanutsfan1995]

I'm a diehard metalhead. F**kin love the stuff. Blown thousands of dollars on records, shirts, and books. Doesn't mean I don't love other things.

FatCity, I gotta say, I own both of those records and love them! Metal artists take influence from all over the place, so why shouldn't I listen to those same albums?

I listen to blues, funk, death metal, house, classic rock, some older pop, thrash metal, NWOBHM, grunge, a bit of black metal, punk, hardcore punk, and soul. Love it all!

[more coffee]

Oh lord, what drama-fodder

Here's Charlie's quote from the original article

I think the metal scene struggles... how can I put this it without sounding bad- most true metal heads are not the most open minded people when it comes to music. They like what they like and they want that- and you have to deliver that. If you go a little left field, I don't know man, that's taking some chances there and you have to deliver. With this record, it is truly a heavy metal record. There's no other influence on this record other than hard rock and heavy metal.

Looks a quite a bit different when taken in context, doesn't it? In fact, you could replace "heavy metal" with "country" or "jazz", and it would still be as accurate.

Don't believe me? Try putting some nice crunchy downtuned power-chords on a bebop record and see what the reaction is. Put some sitar on a Carrie Underwood record.

You get the idea. Diehard fans want what they want.

We now return you to your regular internet tempest in a teacup.

[zeroncali]

Musicians tend to be open minded regardless of what kind of music they play. But I would have to say most music listeners who describe themselves as *genre* fans tend to think anything else sucks. Metal fans and classic rock people do tend to be more vocal about it though...
Edit: Post above mine hit the nail on the head.

[Wasted Bassist]

I'm in a hardcore influenced heavy metal band, a doom metal band, and two jazz combos. Color me open minded.

[ShredderMaximus]

I've seen alot of the opposite too. One time I was just messing around on a family friends acoustic guitar, and started playing Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth) and the owner of the guitar loved it and said it was a very beautiful piece. So I decided to play the original for him, and his attitude immediately changed, and he honestly had a look of disgust.

For alot of people, I think that as soon as they hear a bit of distortion, they immediately write it off as c***, which I think is hilarious.

[peanutsfan1995]

Originally Posted by ShredderMaximus

I've seen alot of the opposite too. One time I was just messing around on a family friends acoustic guitar, and started playing Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth) and the owner of the guitar loved it and said it was a very beautiful piece. So I decided to play the original for him, and his attitude immediately changed, and he honestly had a look of disgust.

For alot of people, I think that as soon as they hear a bit of distortion, they immediately write it off as c***, which I think is hilarious.

Heh... I was playing the triads from Orion in Central Park (Don't ask why I had a bass in Central Park, it's a long-ish story), and someone asked me what it was from. When I said "Metallica, why?" they just stormed off. Ignorance and preconceived misconceptions in society are rampant, especially about metal. I occasionally play some tunes through my speakers at school, and people usually say "Whoa, dude... That's like... Good man. I thought metal, was, like... baaaaaaad stuff. That's... not baaaaaad."

(Yes, they are stoned 24/7.)

[runmikeyrun]

While I prefer metal and old hardcore/punk as my mainstay, I've come to appreciate almost all types of music. I get the same tingles from listening to Chuck Berry or Iron Butterfly as I do listening to Carcass. Heck, I just downloaded 6 cds of Motown today, the Funk Brothers wrote some incredible music.

Good music is good music and a good riff is a good riff no matter what context they are in.

I also own Marvin Gaye and Number of the Beast lol.

[chuck norriss]

I love both kinds of music: country & western.

[FatCity]

Originally Posted by chuck norriss

I love both kinds of music: country & western.

Perfect!

[more coffee]

Originally Posted by chuck norriss

I love both kinds of music: country & western.

RAWHIDE!

[MisterWraith]

I was guilty of some of this pigeon holing... I Played with hardcore punk band in Washington DC from 1986-1989. At that time we thought of Metal as that stuff played by Hair spray wearing whiny pretty boys... (it was the Warrant/White Tiger/ Poison era) Not to knock those bands, but they still aren't my thing. Anyhow, I was already a fan of somewhat metal influenced Hardcore such as Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front, D.R.I, etc. when I first heard Metallica's Ride The Lightning. I soon thereafter heard Iron Maiden's Powerslave. Both were great albums I couldn't deny. it went on to Slayer etc. from there. Now coming up on my 42nd birthday I'm a huge fan of many more Metal bands than I was then, however, I also like Chopin, Rachmaninov (sp?) Liszt, Grieg, Big Band Music, Reggae. I can appreciate when my wife plays her Tori Amos & Alanis albums, but have to level it out with some Bloodbath or something similar if it goes too long. I agree with others here who have said that we musicians are probably less likely to confine our own listening to such a narrow box.

[mantrabass]

I love how he expresses how metalheads will only listen to a certain kind of metal, but then mentions how he hopes that all kinds of people will listen to his new record. Seems somewhat ironic.